How to Create Homemade Inexpensive Paint Art Supplies

Through the years as a mother of five creative children, one who went on to become an art major in college and a sometimes practicing adult artist, I found creative ways to keep kids stocked with paint. Painting is almost always the favorite art activity of any child. Give them a paint brush and some paint and watch the masterpeices pour forth.

Buying paint can bankrupt the art budget however so here are four of my favorite paint recipes

Finger Paint

Young children often begin their painting experience with finger painting. Ingredients needed are 1 c. of dry starch, 2 c. of boiling water, 3/4 c. of powdered determent, and powdered tempera paint. I purchase my powdered tempera paint at a local Hobby Lobby store but you can also buy it online.

Mix together the starch and 1/2 c. of the boiling water. Stir until the starch dissolves, then add the rest of the water and stir rapidly. Add the detergent and stir until all is mixed thoroughly. You can adjust colors by adding food coloring to the water before you add it to the dry ingredients. Just experiment with colors, Kids will use whatever you come up with.

Fabulous Finger Paint can be used with fingers or brushes

Ingredients are 2/3 c. cornstarch, 1 c. cold water, 1 envelope unflavored gelatin, 2 1/4 c. hot water, 2/3 c. soap flakes, 4 T. food coloring.
Combine the cornstarch and 2/3 c. cold water in a medium pan. In a bowl, mix together the 1/3 c. of water and the gelatin. Add the hot water to the cornstarch mix and stir constantly over med. heat until it boils. When the mixture comes clear, remove from the heat and add the gelatin mix. Add the soap flakes and stir until mixed. The mixture will be very thick. Divide it between various bowls and add food coloring to make the color your child wants to paint with that day!

This can be stored for several days. I always put it in the refrigerator between uses. Just don't mistake it for some yummy jello dish!

Watercolor Paint

Supplies: 1 t. water, 1 T. vinegar, 2 T. baking soda, 1 T. corn starch, 1/2 t. glycerin (can be bought at the drugstore, just ask), food coloring.

Mix vinegar and baking soda in small bowl. Add the remaing ingredients and stir. Store paint in small baby food jars or jelly jars between uses. It won't last long if your kids like painting as much as mine did. I also would buy food coloring in large single color bottles, because we used so much of it. It's cheaper that way than the small sets of four colors.

Puff Paint

This is a fun paint that my kids loved to use. Ingredients are flour, salt, water and food coloring. You combine equal amounts of flour, salt and water and add food coloring to hue that you like. As the paint dries, it will harden and "puff" up. It's fun! This will spoil because of the flour, so I suggest making small amount for each use, and keep stored in refrigerator. Those baby food jars or squeeze bottles work great for puffy paint.

A fun painting tip

If you sprinkle salt on your paintings, they will dry and crystallize when the paint dries. You'll have glistening snowflakes on those winter art projects.